The Intelligencer on the appointment of a new commissioner of the state Division of Corrections:

“Condolences” might be better than “congratulations” as a greeting for Betsy Jividen these days. The Wheeling resident, a veteran at the U.S. Attorney’s office, has taken on one of the most challenging jobs in West Virginia.

Jividen has been named by Gov. Jim Justice to become new commissioner of the state Division of Corrections. In that post, she oversees West Virginia’s prison system.

For 37 years as a member of the staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia, Jividen has proved she can handle demanding jobs. Three different U.S. attorneys had high enough regard for her to name her First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the region. She served as acting U.S. attorney during much of last year.

But Jividen takes the reins at her new job during a genuine crisis. Both the prisons and regional jail system suffer from a severe shortage of corrections officers.

Two actions by the governor make the extent of the problem clear. Late last year, he authorized use of National Guard troops, if necessary, to staff correctional facilities. In addition, Justice issued an order regarding annual leave accrued by prison and jail personnel.

Normally, corrections officers and staff may not be permitted to carry over all unused leave from year to year. If they don’t take their vacation days, they lose them.

But the staffing shortage has been so serious many prison and jail personnel have been unable to take all their leave, through no fault of their own. Justice’s order allows them to carry it over into this year.

A shortage of trained corrections officers is serious stuff. It can put some inmates and, perhaps, the public at risk. It makes the task of those officers who are present more risky.

We know why there is a shortage of corrections officers. Their pay is not competitive enough to attract and retain good men and women.

Clearly, one of the top priorities of state legislators when they begin their 60-day regular session this week must be dealing with the crisis. They simply must provide pay rates adequate to bring people into corrections work and keep them there.

Otherwise, Jividen may find herself dealing not just with a new job, but with a serious catastrophe in state prisons.

A century ago, only about a fifth of 15- to 18-year-olds in the United States attended high school, and less than a tenth of 18-year-olds graduated. Simply put, getting a high school diploma wasn’t viewed as necessary back then for most people to get a job.

But enrolment began to grow shortly after that period as more high schools were built and governments placed more emphasis on encouraging children to attend school and get their diplomas. Free public education increasingly was viewed as a ticket to better jobs and through the decades that followed. By 1940, nearly three-quarters of America’s teens were enrolled in high schools.

Fast forward to today, however, and the high school diploma doesn’t carry as much weight any more. In fact, having some post-secondary education is viewed as crucial for most people to make a decent income. But part of the challenge for many is paying for a continued education; even though there are public universities and colleges, they are far from free. Tuition alone at some of the least expensive universities and colleges can run into several thousand dollars a year.

With this changing landscape, more and more states are exploring the notion of providing free community college educations to its residents — including some lawmakers in West Virginia. It’s an idea worth seriously pursuing.

West Virginia Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, in recent weeks has stated that he’s drafting a proposal allowing state residents to earn a two-year associate’s degree at no cost to them. He’s also looking at a system that also might allow high school students to complete some sort of certificate while still in school. To participate in the program, Carmichael told the Charleston Gazette-Mail, students would be required to take a drug test and also may be committed to staying in the state for a number of years. There likely would be an income limit to prevent families making upward of $150,000 from receiving funding.

Carmichael estimates that $10 million would pay for the whole cost of the program to supplement any grants and scholarships that students would receive.

Such a program could have a dual benefit. First, it is likely to open up a path to better job opportunities for more state residents. Employers in the state often lament that they can’t find people with the necessary skills to fill their job openings, and a free community college education in in-demand fields could close that skills gap.

Secondly, economic development officials say West Virginia suffers in attracting new businesses because the state’s labour force generally does not have sufficient skill and education levels to convince employers to locate in the Mountain State.

Allowing residents to gain at least two years of post-secondary education without cost should convince more of them to further their education. Carmichael’s proposal is a reasonable response to the changing employment landscape that suggests free public education in today’s world should go beyond a high school diploma.

Given the region’s success with ATV and motorcycle trails, the addition of new bicycling, horseback riding and hiking trails would appear to be a natural expansion of our outdoor tourism offerings.

That’s why we welcome a proposal between officials in Mercer and Summers counties that would allow for the creation of hiking and water trails along an old railroad line.

The hope is that the old railroad right of way going through part of Mercer County will form a connection with trails in Summers County and beyond, according to Mercer County Commissioner Bill Archer. This former railroad line was mostly forgotten until its existence became part of negotiations in the 1990s, Archer told the Daily Telegraph last week.

“Back in early 1990 when the commission was working with the Department of Highways to locate District 10 headquarters where it is at Exit 14, a question arose,” Archer said. “There was going to be a three-way swap between the federal government, the highway department and the (county) commission.”

The Mercer County Commission received the property which became the location of the Mercer County Courthouse Annex. The state forestry department got a 23-acre site along Gardner Road which was later converted into a wetland. The state Department of Highways received the property near Exit 14 off Interstate 77, which became the site of District 10’s headquarters.

While these negotiations were underway, it was discovered that the descendants of the Bluestone Lumber Company, which operated near Exit 14, had the title to a 32-foot-wide narrow-gauge railroad line that ran all the way to Flat Top, Archer said. The county now owns the right of way. That railroad line and the right of way for it connect Mercer County and Summers County at Pipestem State Park.

As a result, officials in the two counties are now working together with Camp Creek State Park, Pipestem State Park and Summers County to develop a larger network of hiking, mountain bicycle trails and equestrian trails. No motorized vehicles like ATVs or motorcycles would be allowed on the trail at this time.

Both Mercer and Summers counties plan to apply, with the help of the Region One Planning & Development Council, for state Department of Highways grants. Archer said Mercer County is applying for a $150,000 grant that would fund the project’s design phase. The hope is to have the grant applications submitted by Jan. 18.

The two-county plan sounds like an excellent idea. If approved for funding, the old railroad line project would further enhance our tourism appeal. It’s also a great example of regional co-operation with elected leaders in neighbouring counties working together to enhance tourism growth in southern West Virginia.